Box-shaping machine.



J. A. STOCK & M. J. MILMOE.

BOX SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1914.'

1,132,632, Patented Mar. 23, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'jnz/enfors Wwaaear W I": NORRIS PETERS CO. FHQTO LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D.

' J. A. STOCK & M. .J. MILMOE.

BOX SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOIY FILED JULY 2, 1914.

1,1 32,632. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

THE NORRIS PETERS c0, PHOTG-LITHQ. WAsHmiGmN. D. c.

i in section; Fig. 4 illustrates the presser-bars JULIUS A. STOCK AND MICHAEL J. MILMOE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNORS TO W. C. RITCHIE & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BOX-SHAPING- MACHINE.

neck and particularly the corner-portions thereof square and true, but it is, in fact, necessary, if the cover is to fit over the neck snugly and neatly.

The leading feature of this nvention is the provision of a machine which will act automatically on necked or collared boxes to press the necks or collars into firm engagement with the inner sides of the box-walls to cause the adhesive betweenthem to firmly secure them together and also true up and straighten the sides ofthe boxes and necks, whereby these box elements will have straight rather than bowed sides and will have sharp, true, corners rather than rounded ones. At the same time, any surplus covering-material such aspaper inside of the box neck or collar at the corners is pressed in such a way as to be disposed of and be practically unobservable. In the accompanying drawings a machine of this character hasbeen illustrated, and'to these drawings reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description or the structural elements of the mechanism and their functions.

In these drawingsFigure 1 IS a plan view of the device which constitutes a portion of another machine, and, therefore this view is somewhat fragmentary; Fig. 2 1s a substantially central longitudinal section through the device on line 2-2 of Fig 1, certain portions of the mechanism remaining unsectioned: Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 with a few parts engaging the box; Fig. 5 illustrates the bars removed from the box-sides, and, Fig. 6 s a fragmentary perspective view illustrating Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed July 2, 1914. Serial N0. 848,529.

the spring-pressed finger for preventing over-travel of the box when pushed into position for operation thereon by the pressingdevices; i By referring to these drawings it will be observed that the mechanism comprises a table 10 on which is bolted at 11, 11, a standard 12 supplied at its upper end with a cylindrical bearing 13 slidingly receiving av cylindrical rod or shaft 14, one end of which is pivotally connected at 15 to a cam-actuated rocking-arm 16, the operating-mechanism of which it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate, since it may be of any suitable design or character. A suitable form of pivotal connection between the end ofthe shaft 14 and the rocker-arm 16 consists in reducing the thickness of the shaft so as to supply it with a tongue 17' with flat sides, and making the upper end of the bar 16 bifurcated at 18, 18, for the reception of the tongue 17 Each of these parts 18, 18, is provided with a slot 19 which accommodates a rectangular block 20 revolubly -mounted on a cross-pin 15 or shaft passing through the tongue 17 and firmly held therein by the screw 21, the blocks 20 being retained on the cross-pins by means of cotterpins 22. mounted another standard 23 slotted at 24,

Also on the table 10 there is (Fig. 2), having at its upper-end a bearing 25 'slidingly receiving the shaft or rod 14, and to the top, bottom, and side faces of the bearing by means of screws there are fastened the four outwardly extended guide and stripper bars 26, 27, 28, and 29, the

ends of which are received in slots 31 of the rectangular end 32 of a plunger 33. This plunger 33 has a cylindrical cavity 31 receiving the adjacent end of the shaft 14 which is hollowed out for the reception of the coil-expansiOn-spring 35, which at one end bears against the bottom of the cavity in the shaft and at its other end bears against the bottom of the recess in the plunger, tending to force the latter away In order to limit the slid-' from the shaft. ing travel of the plunger on the shaft the latter is slotted at 36 and accommodates a transverse pin 37 secured to the plunger.

At the four points 90 degrees apart, the I inner-end of the plunger has four pairs of ears 88, 88; 89, 89; 40, 40; and 41, 41. Between these pairs of cars on suitable pivotpins 42, 48, 44, and 45, there are fulcrumed the four levers 46, 47, 48, and 49, each of which at its outer end has transversely fastened thereto a presser-bar or foot 50 provided with two offset-surfaces 51 and 52 adapted to bear respectively on the outer faces of the boxwall and neck. That is to say, the two surfaces 51 and 52 are displaced an amount approximately equal to the thickness of the pasteboard forming the boxwall. Each of the four levers is equipped with a pin 58 and the opposite levers are connected together and pulled toward one another by the coil contractile springs 54 and 55, which, by their action on the levers, tend to separate the presser-bars 50. To operate these levers, each of which has on its inner-end an anti-friction roller 55, there is secured to the shaft 14 by means of a pin or key 56, a supporting-member 57 having a smaller cylindrical portion 58 through which the pin passes, and an adjacent cylindrical enlargement 59 supplied with four cylindrical radial cavities 60 in register with the levers and their rollers, and each housing a coil-expansion spring 61 and a round plunger or button 62 having a crowned outer-end adapted to coiiperate with a corresponding roller 55 of the adjacent lever and having a recessed inner-end accommodating in part the cotiperating spring 61. In order to limit the outward travel of these plungers or buttons, a disk 68 is fastened to the part 59 by screws 64 and has a circular. flange 65 overlapping them. In case it is desired to remove one or more of the buttons or their springs, the member 68 may be readily detached.

Transversely of the table and supported on suitable brackets 66 is a supplemental table or shelf with a horizontal plate-portion 67 and an upstanding-flange or wall 68, to the top surface of which there is fastened somewhat loosely by means of a screw 69, a plate 70 having a lateral ear 71 projecting over the path of travel of the boxes, the upper presser-bar 50, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 being centrally cut away at 72 for the accommodation of such projection. In order to keep this finger 71 yieldingly pressed down on the top of the box, a screw 78 is fastened in the top of the wall 68, passes loosely through a hole in the plate 70, and has a coil-spring 74 interposed between its head and the top surface of the plate. This construction permits the finger 71 to yield vertically slightly. A shaft 75 is slidably mounted in the bearings 76 and 77 and is reciprocated by means of an arm 78 rockingly connected thereto at 79, the arm being oscillated by any suitable mechanism (not illustrated) the movement of the shaft, of,course,being in proper timed relation to the movement of the other parts of the construction. At 80 a member is clamped to the shaft which has a lateral arm 81 carrying an extension 82 at right angles thereto, that is, parallel to the shaft 75.

Operation: The parts of this mechanism perform their functions substantially as follows: The cigarette boxes 88 with their recently inserted necks or collars are fed forwardly, bearing one against another, in a guideway 84, the end-box 85 bearing against the wall or flange 68. When the shaft 75 slides forwardly, its arm 81 engages the end box 85 and advances it into register with the rectangular plunger 82, the springpressed finger 71 engaging the top surface of the box, preventing its over-travel, and assisting in holding it in position on the narrow flange 86 of the table or shelf 67, (Fig. 8), it being understood that the horizontal plate-portion 67 of the shelf is cut away at 87 (Fig. 1), leaving only the narrow-support 86 opposite the plunger. This support, however, in combination with the spring-pressed finger 71, is suflicient to hold the box in place until the plunger enters it. During such advance of the box the plunger and presser-bars are in the retracted position illustrated in Fig. 8. As soon, however, as the box has been positioned, as shown in Fig. 8, the arm 16 slides the shaft 14 forwardly, the rectangular plunger 82 entering the box, bearing against its bottom-wall, and holding the box pressed against the innerface of the wall 68. This rectangularplunger is guided in its travel by the four bars 26, 27, 28, and 29. After the plunger has engaged the bottom of the box, the shaft 14 continues its forward sliding, such movement being permitted owing to the sliding engagement of the plunger on the shaft, and compresses the spring 85. This additional travel of the shaft brings the spring pressed plungers or buttons 62 into co-active relation with the rollers 55 and swings the arms 46, 47, 48 and 49 on their fulcrums so as to cause the four presser-bars 50 to simultaneously engage and squeeze the four sides of the box between themselves and the internal plunger, it being understood that the presserbars were brought into proper register with the walls of the box when the plunger 82 engaged the bottom of the box, since they are all mounted on the sliding-member 88. Inasmuch as the boxes operated upon by this part of the machine have recently had their necks or collars inserted in their bodies with suitable adhesive between their contacting surfaces, the pressures exerted by the four bars act not only to shape the boxes exactly rectangular with straight sides and sharp corners, but also cause a more secure adhesion of the necks in place, this additional pressure causing the glue or other adhesive to more firmly bind the parts to.-

gether. Also, since the rectangular plunger is shaped to fit the interior of the box exactly, it neatly presses any surplus covering-paper on the box-coller inside of its corners into place so as to be easily disposed tion of the plunger 62, and when the pin 67 engages the end of slot 36, the rectangular form 32 recedes, freeing the box and at approximately this instant the next box is advanced by the arm 81 and it pushes the box just operated upon by this mechanism out of the way and takes its place. During this travel of the arm 81, the arm 82 bears against the next box and prevents it from becoming displaced until after the arm 81 has receded into position illustrated in Fig. 1. p

The springs 35 and 61 not only perform the indicated functions of holding their cooperating parts in place, but they act somewhat as safety appliances for if more thicknesses of pasteboard by accident become interposed between the parts,performing the pressing-operation, these springs will yield suiiiciently to prevent damage being done to the machine.

In this specification a desirable embodiment of the invention has been detailed, but the invention is not restricted or limited to the exact features of construction set forth,

since many minor mechanical changes may be made therein without departure from the substance of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a form-plunger adapted to enter a necked-box, a plurality of pressers shaped to conform to the exterior surfaces of the box and neck, and means to cause said pressers to squeeze the boxwalls and neck inwardly between themselves and said form-plunger, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a form-plunger adapted to enter a necked box, a plurality of pressers shaped to conform to the exterior surfaces of the box and neck and each of a length substantially as long as the corresponding faces of the box and neck, and means to cause said pressers to squeeze the box and walls inwardly between themselves and said form-plunger, substantially as described. e T

3. In a machine of the character de-* scribed, the combination of a form-plunger adapted to enter a necked box, "a plurality of pressers shaped to conform to the exterior surfaces of the box and neck and each of a length and width substantially the same as those of the corresponding sur-' faces of thebox'and neck, and means to" cause saidpressers to. squeeze the box-walls and neck inwardly between themselves and said form-plunger, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an abutment, a. spring-pressed form-plunger adapted to enter a necked-box and hold the same in position by pressing its bottom-wall against the abutment,'a plurality of bars each adapted to simultaneouslybear on the outer-face of a wall of the box and the outer face of the corresponding portion of the'box-neck, and means to cause said bars to shape said walls and neck by pressing them inwardly against said form-plunger, substantially as described.

.5. In a machine of the character de movably mounted on said plunger, and

means on said shaft to cause said presserbars to shape the box-walls and neck by pressing them inwardly against the formplunger, substantially as described. i

6'. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an abutment, a slidable shaft, a spring-pressed form-plunger slidable on said shaft and adapted to enter a necked-box, a pluralityof presserbars each shaped to conform to the outer surfaces of a Wall of the box and the outer face of the corresponding-portion of the neck movably mounted on said form-plunger, and means on said shaft adapted during the sliding of the shaft to move said presserbars inwardly toward the box and shape a plurality of its walls and the neck by pressing them inwardly against the form-plunger, substantially as described. 7

7. In a machine of the character de'-' scribed, the combination of a slidable-shaft, a form-plunger slidable on said shaft and adapted to enter a necked-box, levers mount- 7 ed on said form-plunger, a presser-bar on each of said levers, each shaped to conform to one of the outer-surfaces of the box and the adjacent portion of the neck, and means on said shaft adapted to rock said levers to scribed, the combination of aslid'able-shaft, a spring-pressed form-plunger slidably mounted on said shaft and adapted to enter and conform to the inner-walls of a neckedboX, a plurality of levers carried by said form-plunger and presser-bars on each of said levers shaped to conform to the outerface of one of the box-walls and the adjacent outer face of the corresponding-portion of the neck, and spring-pressed means on said shaft adapted to cooperate with and actuate said levers and presser-bars to shape the box-walls and neck by pressing them inwardly against the form-plunger, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an abutment, a shaft slidable toward and from said abutment, a spring-pressed form-plunger slidable on said shaft and adapted to enter a necked-box and hold the same against the abutment by contact with its bottom-wall, a plurality of levers carried by said plunger, a presser-bar on each of said levers, each adapted to conform to the outer face of one of the box-walls and the outer-face of the corresponding portion of the box-neck, and spring-pressed means carried by said shaft and adapted to rock said levers to cause the presser-bars to shape the box-walls and neck by pressing them inwardly against the form-plunger, substantially as de scribed.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an abutment, a

shaft sjlidable toward and from said abut,- ment, a form-plunger slidable on said shaft, a spring interposed between said plunger and shaft and adapted to slide the plunger on the latter, means to advance neckedboXes individually into register with said form-plunger, the plunger being adapted to enter the boxes one by one and shaped to conform to their inner surfaces, a plurality of levers carried by said form-plunger, a presser-bar mounted on each of said levers and each shaped to conform to the outerface of one of the box-walls and the outerface of the corresponding portion of the box-neck, spring-means tending to rock said levers to move the Presser-bars away from the box, and a plurality of spring-pressed plungers mounted on said shaft, each cooperating with one of the levers, said plungers being adapted to simultaneously roclr said levers and by means of the pressers shape the box-walls and neck by pressing them inwardly against the form-plunger while the box is held pressed against the abutment by said plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS A. STOCK. MICHAEL J. MILMOE,

Witnesses WILLIAM J. ANDERSON, 'C. E. BATEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatentv Washington, D. 0. 

